Egypt works with World Bank Group on investment promotion strategy: Minister

Mohamed Farid, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, said Egypt is working with the World Bank Group to develop an investment promotion strategy aimed at directing foreign investment towards productive activities that boost exports, expand manufacturing and strengthen links with domestic industries.

Farid made the remarks during a session on the role of the private sector in financing development in developing countries, held as part of the 2026 World Investment Forum in Doha.

He explained that the strategy identifies priority sectors and opportunities across value chains to channel investment towards activities that enhance productive capacity, increase exports and strengthen links between major projects and local suppliers and manufacturers. He cited the manufacture of components for renewable energy projects as one area offering potential.

Farid added that attracting long-term private-sector investment depends on clear and stable economic policies, streamlined investment procedures, and more efficient licensing and approval processes. Making effective use of Egypt’s network of trade agreements is also important, as it gives investors access to broader regional and international markets, improving project viability and prospects for securing financing.

He stressed the importance of strengthening the capacity to develop bankable projects through comprehensive technical and economic studies, robust financial models, risk assessments and stronger institutional capabilities. These measures are particularly important for projects in infrastructure, water and energy, and would reduce the need for investors to undertake project preparation themselves.

Farid also highlighted the importance of developing domestic capital markets and providing guarantees and risk-mitigation instruments to mobilise savings and broaden the sources of project financing. These measures are particularly relevant amid high global interest rates and intensifying competition to attract capital, including investment flowing into fast-growing sectors such as artificial intelligence.

At the African level, Farid emphasised the importance of bringing regulatory frameworks and disclosure requirements across capital markets closer together. Greater alignment would facilitate cross-border investment in public offerings and broaden the investor base.

He added that harmonising standards and aligning rules of origin and trade procedures under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) would support market integration and strengthen companies’ and projects’ ability to expand across borders and attract investment.

Farid concluded that strengthening the private sector’s role in financing development requires an integrated framework combining policy stability, the identification of productive and export-oriented investment opportunities, effective project preparation, deeper financial markets and greater economic integration among African countries.